Churches keep records of baptisms, christenings, confirmations, marriages, burials, memberships, admissions, and removals. Some keep minutes of church meetings and the histories of their local churches. Each church has its own policies for record keeping. Church records are important for family research because civil authorities in Utah did not begin registering vital records consistently until after 1895 although some marriage records exist as early as 1887. Church records may include names and dates and places of births, marriages, deaths and parents. The records are usually recorded at the time of an event and should be accurate for the specific event.

Before 1900 the largest religious groups in Utah were The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Methodists, and Presbyterians.[1]

You must determine the denomination of an ancestor to find their church records.

Contents

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been the predominant religion in Utah since the pioneers arrived in 1847. Membership records can identify parentage, birth, marriage, death, baptism, priesthood ordination and missionary information along with geographical locations where LDS families were living between the1840s-1960s. For more complete information see Tracing LDS Ancestors.

The Family History Library has copies of ward, branch, district, stake and mission records up to 1948 with a few up to 1977. Copies of the films may be sent to FamilySearch Centers or other libraries with FamilySearch lending.

Church History Library15 East North TempleSalt Lake City, Utah 84150-1600Phone: (801) 240-2272 The records The Church History Library has a much broader collection of historical records than the Family History Library.

To locate records of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it helps to use an index. The LDS Family History Suite 2and the Early Church Information File are two important indexes used to find Church members and other people of Utah. A source that describes events in Church history from 1805 to 1913 is:

The following are a few general sources and histories for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of the sources are indexed in The Pioneer Heritage CD-ROM, LDS Family History Suite, and the Early Church Information File. Some of the complete text is also computerized on the compact disks:

Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1830-1973). Salt Lake City, Utah: Historical Dept., 1969, 1973. FHL films 1259729-795. Films do not circulate to Family History Centers. This collection includes newspaper clippings and extracts from journals, letters, histories, biographies, rosters, and manuscript material. Daily events are arranged chronologically. Also available at the Church History Library and Church Archives. The sets at the Harold B. Lee Library and the Utah Historical Society Library are not as current.

The index to the Journal History is online at Journal History Index. The microfilm index is cataloged separately in Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The. Historical Department. Index to Journal History. Salt Lake City, Utah: Historical Department, 1973. FHL film 1233503 (first of 58). Films do not circulate to family history centers. This index contains an alphabetical listing of individual names, places, events, and subjects. Each entry gives the date and page where the entry is found in the Journal History films.

Episcopal

Each parish maintains its own records. The Diocese has records for some discontinued parishes. The Marriott Library at the University of Utah has a collection of their records. The Family History Library has a few records, including the following:

Episcopal Church, Diocese of Utah. Episcopal Register of the Bishop of Utah (Bishop's Personal Register) 1899-1946, 1951-1967. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975. FHL film 908728. This record has baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials. It covers all of Utah and some areas of eastern Nevada.

The Methodist church was organized in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 8, 1872.Its history is found in the following:

Merkel, Henry Martin. History of Methodism in Utah. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Dentan Printing, 1938. FHL book 979.2 K2m. This book has a bibliography and a list of pastors. Each congregation maintains its own records.

The Ira J. Taylor Archives has the records for some of the discontinued congregations of Utah. Staff there can also help you locate existing congregations. See Iliff School of Theology above.

Presbyterian

Each Presbyterian congregation maintains its own records. The Presbytery of Utah can help you locate current congregations and will provide suggestions for finding records of discontinued congregations. The Westminster College Library has a miscellaneous collection of Utah Presbyterian records. Their address is:

Murray, Andrew E. The Skyline Synod: Presbyterianism in Colorado and Utah. Denver, Colorado: Golden Bell Press, 1971. FHL book 978.8 K2m. It is indexed by the name of the church. It is a historical account of the church with a list of officials. There are some pictures of church buildings and reverends.

The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City has records from the early 1870s to the present for all of Utah. The early records are incomplete. Each congregation keeps its records for a few years before sending them to the Pastoral Center.

For a history of the Catholic Church in Utah, see:

Mooney, Bernice Maher. Salt of the Earth: The History of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, 1776-1987. Salt Lake City, Utah: Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, 1987. FHL book 979.2258 K2m. This gives a history of the church for most Utah congregations. It includes photographs and an index. It gives a historical account and information of church officials, when church buildings were erected, and a list of reverends and their dates of service.

Catholic Church, Diocese of Salt Lake City. The Official Directory of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Diocese, 1988. FHL book 979.2 K24c. Covers many parts of Utah in addition to Salt Lake City. It has a list of parishes with addresses and maps for Salt Lake City showing the 1988 boundaries. It includes a list of clergy, sisters, and deacons and their wives.

Finding Aids

To locate records for other churches, contact the existing congregations in Utah. The Utah State Historical Society and the Marriott Library of the University of Utah have church record collections. The following guide can also help you learn about church records in Utah:

Historical Records Survey. Inventory of the Church Archives of Utah. Three Volumes. Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Historical Records Survey, 1940. FHL book 979.2 K2h; fiche 6046577. This was prepared as a complete inventory of church records. It contains a history of religion in Utah and has a list of books arranged by the name of the denomination. It also contains an inventory for the various religions

References

↑William Chamberlin Hunt and United States Bureau of the Census, Religious Bodies: 1906 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1910), Vol. 1:364. Digital version at Google Books.